The Chamber of Secrets Through Another's Eyes

Chapter 8: At Flourish And Blotts

I went to Diagon Alley the same day as Draco and Aura Malfoy, Hermione Granger, Harry Potter, and the Weasleys. I'm going to skip what happened at Diagon Alley, except when I was at Flourish and Blotts. I don't want to bore you with everything, and I feel like Flourish and Blotts was important. Even if it didn't seem like it would be at the time.

You guys all know what my book list for the school year looked like, right? Well, if you didn't know or don't remember here it is:

SECOND-YEAR STUDENTS WILL REQUIRE:

The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2 by Miranda Goshawk
Break with a Banshee by Gilderoy Lockhart
Gadding with Ghouls by Gilderoy Lockhart
Holidays with Hags by Gilderoy Lockhart
Travels with Trolls by Gilderoy Lockhart
Voyages with Vampires by Gilderoy Lockhart
Wandering with Werewolves by Gilderoy Lockhart
Year with the Yeti by Gilderoy Lockhart

As I was reading the list for the first time I was thinking, 'Wow. Somebody must really like Gilderoy Lockhart. Ugh. He's a pretentious asshole...'

Yeah, I know. Hypocritical, right? I'm a pretentious asshole.

As soon as I stepped in front of Flourish and Blotts I saw a sign on the window that read:

GILDEROY LOCKHART

will be signing copies of his autobiography

MAGICAL ME

today 12:30 P.M. to 4:30 P.M.

'Oh, great,' I thought. 'A bunch of crazed fans will be in there, won't there?' I rolled my eyes as I read the sign.

"Shall we?" my father asked Michael and me.

"We shall." I smiled at my father. Then I looked at Michael and said, "There's going to be a lot of people in there. Just to warn you."

We stepped inside and I was right. There were indeed crazed fans (mostly witches) waiting in line for an autographed book ('Magical Me' by Gilderoy Lockhart, but who would want a biography about someone who writes about himself all the time?). I usually don't like huge crowds of people in small spaces so I started to walk towards my left, towards the stairs. My father didn't question me. He just started forward with Michael.

"We can actually meet him!" I heard somebody squeal as I stepped onto the first step. The person sounded vaguely familiar, but I wasn't sure who it was. "I mean, he's written almost the whole booklist!"

The wizard at the front of the door spoke as I stepped onto the fifth step, "Calmly, please, ladies... Don't push, there...mind the books, now..." Then I saw three kids around my age come into the shop. I couldn't believe my eyes. It was Harry Potter, the youngest male Weasley (Ron), and Hermione Granger. That's who spoke when I started onto the steps! That's how it sounded familiar! She gets called on in every class, so I recognized her voice!

"Oh, great. What are they doing here?" somebody spoke. I could tell it was a male's voice, around my age, and it sounded like it was coming from higher up the steps. I stopped in my tracks, unsure what to do.

"Oh, shut up, Draco. They're doing what we are doing. Buying books for Hogwarts." This second voice sounded female, also around my age. I turned my head around to see only a few steps in front of me (who I didn't know at the time) were Draco Malfoy and his twin sister Aura Malfoy, arguing.

"So they are," Draco said with a snarl. "That filthy little Mudblood shouldn't even go to Hogwarts."

"Yes, but that is your opinion," Aura said angrily to her twin. "My opinion is that she should be treated with respect. And you shouldn't exclude someone just because both of their parents are Muggles."